SAINT PETER, Minn. — In the regular-season finale, the Saint Mary's women's basketball team (19-7, 13-5 MIAC) battled until the final seconds but came up short against Gustavus Adolphus (18-7, 14-4 MIAC), falling 73-68 on Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals poured in 24 fourth-quarter points and made a late push, but were unable to fully erase the deficit.

Ayla Olson delivered a career-best performance, erupting for 32 points and eight rebounds in her strongest collegiate outing to date. Julia Koch added eight points to go along with two blocks and two steals, while Lindsey Lettner finished with 10 points, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers. 

Saint Mary's came out aggressive in the opening quarter. Ayla Olson got the Cardinals on the board early, and Koch's three-pointer at the 6:46 mark tied the game at 5-5. Emma Mann followed with a triple to give Saint Mary's an 8-5 edge. Though Gustavus answered to reclaim the lead, Hadley Sammons buried a key three-pointer late in the quarter to keep things close as the Cardinals trailed 21-17 after one.

The momentum continued into the second quarter. Ayla Olson's jumper trimmed the deficit to two before Sammons converted in transition to knot the game at 21-21. The teams traded leads throughout the period, and Lettner's free throws at 5:11 put the Cardinals back in front, 28-27. Koch's late layup kept Saint Mary's within striking distance, and the Cardinals outscored Gustavus 15-13 in the frame, heading into halftime down just 34-32.

The third quarter proved pivotal, as Gustavus capitalized at the free-throw line to stretch its lead. Ayla Olson continued to attack the rim and keep the Cardinals within reach, but the home team built a 51-44 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes.

Saint Mary's refused to go quietly. Ayla Olson sparked the rally with an and-one layup at 8:46 to cut the deficit to six. Moments later, Koch drained a fast-break three-pointer off a Sammons assist to pull the Cardinals within one. Despite a few costly turnovers, the Cardinals stayed in the fight, and Lettner's three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining kept hopes alive. Gustavus, however, converted at the free-throw line down the stretch to seal the 73-68 decision.

With the regular season now complete, Saint Mary's will enter the MIAC Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Cardinals will host No. 5 seed Hamline University on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m. The matchup comes less than a week after a tightly contested road battle between the two programs, setting the stage for a postseason rematch with a trip to the semifinals on the line.